3.5 stars

and they saw a lot!

It's great to want to move into an somewhat elite neighborhood, and hobnob with the residents of your block. When Alexis and Sam pile every cent they have into a rundown house in an exclusive DC area, they figure they are on their way. The parents of almost two children, pushed mostly by Alexis, they move in and then between the repairs and the neighbors they find, this nirvana is not at all what they had hoped.

When Teddy, a well to do neighbor is found dead on the banks of the Potomac, their illusions take a big hit. The community adapts one of those "how is it possible it happened here" attitude and then slowly the secrets behind their lavish doors starts to come out with lots of intrigue.

Alex and Teddy's widow, Blair become friends, as the secrets descend and as Teddy's murder facts emerge, their friendship undergoes the ultimate test.

Although a bit slow moving in parts, this thriller had a fair number of surprises, as secrets often do teaching us all that it's never a good idea to look in other people's windows.

Thank you to Melissa Adelman, a newbie author, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the ability to listen to this book which came out June 20,1023

Wow this was WILD! I couldn’t put this down I kept think I knew what was coming but I was wrong every time. This was amazing.

Unfortunately this book did not work for me at all. I believe that this is a debut by this author, and I think she has potential, but this one was a miss for me.

First off - I finished the book and have no idea what the neighbors actually saw, so there's that.

Alexis and Sam buy a rundown house in a wealthy neighborhood. From there, it read like one of those British crime books that are melodramatic, yet not dramatic at the same time. Sam turns into a jerk, or maybe he always was, but it is never really addressed properly.

This book reads like the author had hundreds of ideas for different books and she tries to cram them all into one, with no real development or explanation for literally anything.

Alexis befriends her neighbor, Blair, and fairly early on, Blair's husband is murdered in the woods. This seems like it will be a focal point to the book, but it kind of falls to the wayside. We do find out who murdered him, but it is mashed together with other half-finished plots.

At one point a naked girl ends up on Alexis and Sam's stoop, claiming one of the neighbors attacked her during a sexual rendezvous, but that doesn't go anywhere. Alexis gets attacked and choked out in the woods by another neighbor, but that doesn't go anywhere. There is a part where Alexis is calling the family of her birth father and they shut her down and are like, "NEVER CALL AGAIN," but that wasn't explained and didn't go anywhere. Alexis just announces to a married couple that she knows they are half siblings because she "saw the DNA test." This wasn't addressed beforehand unless I missed something and didn't make sense at all.

As for the narrator - the attempt at a stuffy rich accent was incredibly annoying to listen to. I was not a fan.

Overall - not for me, but thank you for the approval.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* This was a wild read! just when i thought i knew who did it.... bam! lots of misleading leads and so on. 4.5, would buy, recommend and maybe even reread!

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press Minotaur Books, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the debut novel by Melissa Adelman and wonderfully narrated by Hillary Huber and Sarah Hollis - 4.5 stars!

Alexis and her husband Sam go beyond their means to buy a neglected house in the best neighborhood in a DC suburb. They have a toddler, Alexis is pregnant, and they convinced the nanny to move in as well. The neighbors seem welcoming, especially Blair and Teddy. But when Teddy's body is found on the banks of the Potomac, fear runs through the neighborhood. Alexis starts seeing people in the yard, and rumors are flying around.

I love a juicy neighborhood story and this one fit the bill. As long as you are willing to overlook a bit of men bashing (not a likable one in the bunch!) and a bit of an over-the-top twist, it's a book that is tough to put down. The story is told from the POV of both Alexis and Blair, and both are keeping secrets about their pasts. And those twists - you'll never see some of them coming! It's a great escape book and I can't wait to read more from this author!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacMillanAudio for the read and review of #WhatTheNeighborsSaw by #MelissaAdelman. This was a very interesting book about neighbors and what really happens. Thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC. This was fast paced and very enjoyable. I liked the dual POVs and all the neighborhood drama. . It does start off a little slow but picks up towards the middle. The ending has twists I didn't see coming from a mile away. I will definitely recommend this debut novel!

Sam and Alexis have purchased a home in an exclusive neighborhood, Sam is hoping to be made partner in his law firm and Alexis is pregnant with their second child. Their optimism is exceeded only by their stress levels about being able to afford the home. When a neighbor is found murdered on a local hiking trail, their idyllic future seems even further from their grasp. With Alexis sure she’s seeing strange happenings in the neighborhood late at night and Sam’s refusal to believe her, tempers fray and so does their marriage. Paying the mortgage is now the least of their worries, especially if Alexis is right.

I was provided both a print and an audio arc of this book via Netgalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

I enjoyed that this had two narrators to distinguish between Blair and Alexis' perspectives. I enjoyed both narrators performances and felt they did a good job.

This follows Alexis after she and her husband Sam move in to a dilapidated house in the DC suburbs. The house is in their dream neighborhood and perfect for their growing family. Unfortunately the house came with a hefty mortgage, and at every turn they are sinking more and more into repairs just to make it safe to live in. Alexis has just given birth to their second child and with the financial burden and stress of the new house that strains her marriage even more. When their neighbor turns up dead a few weeks after they move in, Alexis begins to notice that her neighbors have strange night time behaviors as she is up for nighttime feedings with her little one. Her husband is growing more and more irritated by the house and trying to make partner at his law firm and thinks she is just being paranoid. As she begins to befriend some of the women in the neighborhood she finds that some of her paranoia is warranted.

Our other perspective comes from Blair, whose husband has just been murdered. She quickly befriends Alexis and is happy to have someone to lean on after such a tragedy. As the women begin to grow close, strange things continue to happen in their luxurious neighborhood. Things aren't always what they seem in the carefully constructed neighborhood of wealth and priveledge.

I found this to be pretty predictable. I kind of had the whole thing figured within a few chapters. There weren't very many red herrings to mislead the reader, you just weren't clear on the motivations which aren't revealed until much later. This is pretty low on the thrill and suspence aspects, which is not my type of thriller. I prefer heart pumping fast paced action. This is slow burn and follows the characters through their day to day lives until the truth about what happened is revealed. I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters. They were all self absorbed and shallow, I didn't like any of them and that makes it hard for me. Alexis made alot of questionable decisions, but she was supposed to be a very intelligent woman. I'm not a fan of the domestic thriller where the female character is supposed to be really smart but she keeps doing dumb things.

I believe the author was trying to make a statement about motherhood, body image and marriage and how that changes a woman and her relationships. While that is accurate, it didn't really work for me. While this book didn't work for me, I think there is an audience for this book. There is no gory crime scene and there isn't alot of police procedural stuff going on. I you enjoy a slower burn domestic thriller this is a good one to check out, it isn't what I'm looking for.

What The Neighbors Saw is a well-written enjoyable thriller.

Alexis and Sam move into a new home in an exclusive neighborhood in the suburbs of DC. When one of their neighbors is found dead Alexis becomes friends with the widow, Blair. Alexis starts to notice many strange things going on in the area.

Alexis is dealing with marital problems, financial problems, and the struggle of being a new mom of two, and she is still the one who puts on her detective hat and tries to figure out everything going on in the area.

Not much happened in this book but because of how good the writing was I was so invested in the story and the neighborhood. As someone who is not friendly with neighbors, I’m happy with my decision for reasons like this book.

Melissa Adelman's highly entertaining debut, WHAT NEIGHBORS SAW, is a fresh new domestic suspense cat-and-mouse thriller that uncovers a shocking twisty secret in an affluent, upscale neighborhood where appearances are essential and dirty secrets are to be kept behind closed doors.

Set in an affluent DC suburb neighborhood, River Forest, we meet Alexis and Sam, and baby Caleb who are buying a 1927 Cape Cod Revival house that needs a lot of repairs; however, they are delighted to get into this sought-after neighborhood.

It has room for a pool and an excellent walking trail. Alexis is excited about meeting the neighbors, even though they do not have the money for designer clothes, cars, and renovations like their neighbors. They have a Honda and a live-in nanny that will be living in the basement.

Alexis is pregnant, a consultant, and is on maternity leave. Sam is an attorney. (I disliked Sam). Later she gives birth to a baby girl, Carter.

Blair and Teddy are neighbors with a beautiful home with three children. Alexis wants to get beyond her past and is excited when glamorous Blair befriends her.

But the neighborhood's picture-perfect image is shattered when their neighbor Teddy – is found dead on the trail behind Alexis/Sam's house.

The neighborhood is stricken and shocked, and an investigation is underway. Tensions are high among the residents, and long-buried secrets are slowly unraveled.

Told from alternating POVs of Blair and Alexis, we learn the dark secrets behind closed doors. Alexis is more competent than others, give her credit as she begins sleuthing to learn more about Blair and Teddy. How far will they go to protect their secrets?

The ongoing mystery—who murdered Teddy and what motive? Inside or outside the neighborhood?

I LOVED the audiobook narrated by (favorites) Hillary Huber (Blair) and Sarah Hollis (Alexis) for a hilariously wickedly evil performance with a Desperate Housewives vibe blended with dark humor for a superb listening experience.

A chilling tale of deception, DNA, dark family secrets, duplicity, and unfaithfulness that will keep you reading/listening into the wee hours of the morning until the final shocking twist.

For fans of Shari Lapena's The Couple Next Door, Nora Murphy's The Favor, Lisa Unger's Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six, Sally Hepwoth's The Family Next Door, and BA Paris, The Therapist.

In WHAT NEIGHBORS SAW, the characters are mostly misbehaving, manipulative, and selfish, with a lot of backstabbing and jealousy; however, the TWIST is unexpected and jaw-dropping and an entertaining popcorn thriller!

I can't wait to see what's coming next from this talented new author. Highly recommend the audiobook!

Thanks to #MacmillanAudio for a gifted ALC and #MinotaurBooks for an ARC via #NetGalley for review purposes. #MinotaurInfluencers

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: June 20, 2023
My Rating: 5 Stars
June 2023 Must-Read Books

I LOVE neighbor Drama, I mean Desperate Housewives was my JAM back in the day. So when this book popped up I knew it was for me from the title alone, but also the blurb.
A young couple purchases the "worst" house on the block. Soon after one of the neighbors is found dead. There are no clues, but Alexis can't help but do some digging and what she finds is not what she was expecting.

So the set up sound delicious. As I was reading I was capitvated by the actual plot, and really wanted to know which of the unlikable neighbors was responsible for Teddy Bart's sudden death. But what this book lacked was my absolute disdain for the main character Alexis. I could not stand her constant complaining (I kinda agreed with her total jerk husband Sam at times). Here she is having pitched a fit to move into this massive house, fix it up, stay at home with her 2 kids and stay at home nanny. YET YET YET at the same time complain about how difficult her life was (Gasp, fold the laundry, bathe your children, feed your children, spend time wtih your children...) Why am I not working? I had such a powerful job..I miss working, we are so poor-but we refuse to give up our stay at home nanny--Um honey maybe you should consider not complaining for an hour and sign up for a budgeting class and figure out what is necessary.....) In addition throughout the book the author continues to remind us that she is treated poorly because of her skin color (which is terrible, but I do not need to be reminded every.single.page). In addition to all of her complaining she drank excessively and let her husband treat her like feces.

THe ending did shock me as far as who actually killed Teddy, BUT there were certain aspects of this book that made me more uncomfortable that being 13 and having all of olive garden sing happy birthday to me
Melissa Adelman is a great writer and I look forward to many more of her books in the future. I just hope she writes characters I care about in the future.

Thank you Net Galley and Melissa Adelman for this advanced copy read of What the Neighbors saw. I was not influenced for this honest review. Wonderful audiobook and fantastic narorators!

This house is too good to be true? It just needs a little work. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. The views are to die for and the neighbors?! Well, they're a treat too. If that's not enough, you've got THE address for good schools. Is there even a downside other than the kitchen?

Married professionals with 2 young children, Alexis and Sam, are moving in! The worst house in the best neighborhood. Their nanny is coming too. It isn't what you're thinking. They don't come from money, a fact Alexis will remind you of an eye-roll inducing amount of times. She was a scholarship kid raised by a single parent and they've worked really hard to finally be in an exclusive neighborhood.

It's a stretch financially but worth it for the peace of mind.. until a body is found off a trail nearby. Did they waste all of this money finding a safe neighborhood only to be researching security yet again?

This draws Alexis closer to the neighborhood ladies but the finances and stress of constant house hiccups have put a strain on her marriage. They are an insufferable couple. It's hard to pity either of them.

Alexis turns everything back around to the color of her skin which is annoying and doesn't really lead anywhere. It's thrown in haphazardly to have her be offended by neighbors or perhaps to tell us how deserving she is of these luxuries as opposed to the others nearby. Regardless, it didn't land for me. Alexis always wants to relate to "non-white" people and seems huffy when the other people of color don't treat her like she's part of some club. It was very snobby and judgemental. She's a negative and whiny person.

That almost ruined the book because I'm telling you, Alexis and Sam are obnoxious individuals whose children I do pity. Luckily, if you ignore that, there's a pretty good neighborhood story going on, although it's a big long and has a lot of fluff that could have been saved in the drafts.

It was all worth it in the end because I was full on shocked! Mouth agape. Jaw on floor. Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit but the end was fun and I really enjoyed it and look forward to more from this author but I hope she leaves out some of the stuff I mentioned next time.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the chance to read, listen and review. The narration was fantastic.

Told in dualling narratives, What the Neighbors Saw: A Novel by Melissa Adelman was decent, but a bit of a slog for me. I was excited for what I thought would be a great tale of domestic suspense; indeed it got off to a promising start with a murder. But what followed was a long drawn-out tale where nothing happens until the book is 99% over.

At least 80% of the book is just filled with the author telling us how horrible the people in this neighbourhood are. It could have done with about half of that cut-out, and it would have done the same job. I would have given this one two stars as my rating, but it gets extra points for the audiobook narration being absolutely top-notch, and for the couple of curveballs that were thrown into the story at the end.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the early advanced copy.

3.5 stars, rounded up because it had some good twists even if most of the characters were unlikable.

I'm a fan of juicy neighborhood stories, and while this one took a bit of time to get going, overall I did like it in the end. There are many unreliable characters and they all have secrets.

Alexis is a business consultant married to attorney Sam. They have one small child and she is pregnant with their second. They discover a large house in a very desirable DC suburb, but it needs a LOT of work. However, they can't resist the lure of the wealthy, serene neighborhood with its affluent neighbors. Not long after they move in, one of their neighbors, Teddy, is found murdered along a riverside path. Alexis becomes friends with his widow, Blair, who introduces her to many of the other neighbors as the investigation continues.

I honestly could not see what Alexis saw in Sam. From his calling her "old lady" to just not being supportive of her at all, I just wanted to reach through the book and tell her to wake up and kick him out, finances be damned.

The one thing Alexis did find out in the end is that the grass is not necessarily greener in the wealthy neighborhood. Yes, they have all of the trappings of a "perfect life" but they have the same troubles as everyone else in the world.

This is a pretty fast paced story even though the setup was way too long. The reveal of who killed Teddy was juicy, but not really a big shock. I did enjoy this debut novel and look forward to more from this author. I listened to it partially as an audiobook and the dual narrators for Alexis and Blair weren't necessarily needed, but they kept my interest in each character.

Name of Book: What the Neighbors Saw
Author: Melissa Adelman - Debut Author
Narrators: Hillary Huber and Sarah Hollis
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Publisher: Macmillan Audio
Pub Date: June 20, 2023
My Rating: 4. Stars!
Pages: 320

Story is told from the POV of Alexis and Blair.
Alexis and Sam Crawford both Yale graduates are a young couple with a toddler son Kaleb and another baby on the way; have decided that now is the time to move to a bigger place.
They cannot believe a house in their price range is available in one of DC’s very upscale neighborhood. The historic home at 51 Shadow Road is being sold “As Is”. (We know that means major repairs!!!)
One of the first neighbors they meet is Blair, who is one of their close neighbors. Blair is friendly as are the other neighbors but Blair seems to be the only one who appears to be genuine in being friendly.
After Alexis and Sam move in and second baby Carter is born, the repairs to the house become overwhelming and not only a strain on their budget but their relationship as well.
Sam is feeling the stress of trying to become a law partner and becomes quick to criticize and put down Alexis.
Alexis has seen watching her glamorous neighbors from her window and is jealous of their wealth and life style; especially Blair’s life- Blair is a bit older married nearly eighteen years with three teenagers, her husband Teddy is a successful politician. Alexis thinks of them as Barbie and Ken.

However everyone is in shock when Teddy is murdered on one of the neighborhood trails.
No one feels safe. Blair becomes even closer to Alexis.

There is certainly a lot of secret things going on in this neighborhood.

The unlikeable characters were sure giving me a difficult time caring about this story. (I have a low tolerance for f-bombs and certainly came close to my limit!).
When the story started I immediately didn’t like Blair. I did not care about her sex life and then when the love of her life is murdered she wasn’t acting like a grieving widow.
.
Then we have the awful Sam – with his hateful attitude as well as his foul language; I couldn’t find anything to like about him.

I loved Alexis; I felt for her rough childhood. Her single mother was from Honduras and had to work nearly all the time to make ends meet. Ii is interesting when Alexis was looking for a nanny to help with the children; she hires Elena who is also from Honduras.

I love mysteries so wanted to find out who murdered Teddy- which appears to have been put on the back burner. Alexis seemed to be the only one who cared about what happened to him.

I read a lot of thrillers and expect twists and turns so hung in and WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED!!!
This is author Melissa Adelman’s first novel and I am looking forward to her next one!

The narrators Hillary Huber and Sarah Hollis did I great job performing the characters especially Alexis and Blair

Want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio and author Melissa Alderman for this GREAT audiobook!
Publishing Release Day scheduled for: June 20, 2023.

Wow! I did not see that last twist coming! This was a wild ride from the beginning and I was totally here for it. I love a strong woman and that's what you get in Alexis! I love that she takes no shit and does what is best for her and her kids! Also, Teddy is super fucked up, period! This will not be the only book I read by Melissa Adelman!

So I tried to get through this one as a regular book and gave up at the 33% mark because I couldn’t get into it. In my review, I stated that I might be willing to try again with the right narrator. Later that day, the audio arc came out with one of my favorite narrators, Hillary Huber!!

I listened to the first 50% without taking a break and I felt completely different about it. I caught things that I just have skimmed the first time around. Hillary, as well as the other narrator put forth so much emotion and really made the book come to life. I felt connected with the characters in a way that I struggled with by reading the ebook. Huge turnaround for me and I highly recommend the audio version!

What the Neighbors Saw releases on 6/20/23 and I'm glad to have had the chance to listen to the audio arc. Solid book - but be prepared, it's a slow burn. I actually went back to read the publishers notes because by title alone, I expected domestic thriller and all the accompanying fast paced action. This one is listed as general fiction, so go in knowing that it's a bit slower than you might expect as Melissa Adelman presents life in a hoity toity DC suburb.

As a former resident of a nearby said suburb, this novel reminded me why I gratefully fled the city and live an isolated life on a West Virginia mountain sans any real housewives vibe. Like, seriously, after decades of reality TV presenting to us that wealth, privilege and vapid-ness is a thing, I'd highly recommend country life.

The story is told in multiple POVs and Adelman kept me guessing to the end - which seriously saved the book for me. Keep listening/reading and you'll close the book feeling good about your life.

One infant and another on the way, her husband Sam expected to make partner at his law firm and a new home in an affluent DC suburb – everything seems to be going well for Alexis and her family. The house is a fixer-upper and will need quite a bit of work but Alexis is up for the challenge though money might be a bit tight with her on maternity leave from her Consultant job, Alexis is hopeful that this move will usher in a new beginning for her and her family.

Alexis eventually moves into her new home with her husband, two children and live-in nanny and slowly gets to know her new neighbors, the first of whom is Blair who has lived in the neighborhood for over fifteen years. Tragedy rocks the community when Blair’s husband Teddy is found dead at the bottom of a trail near their home on the banks of the Potomac and all evidence points to the fact that it was indeed murder. An investigation ensues and Alexis befriends Blair, spending a lot of time in each other’s company. As the narrative progresses, Alexis begins to notice strange occurrences in the neighborhood, and if the rumors and gossip making rounds is has even an ounce of truth to them, her perfect neighbors have a lot going on under the veneer of the perfect image they strive to maintain. Could any of them be responsible for Teddy’s murder? Is the neighborhood really as safe as it looks to be? Can Alexis trust her neighbors?

"Every house has skeletons in the coat closet. Maybe in every closet. In this neighborhood that’s for sure.”

I struggled with What the Neighbors Saw by Melissa Adelman. The story is presented through a dual narrative in alternating chapters. Initially, I was intrigued by the mysterious death of and was looking forward to an intricately plotted domestic suspense thriller but what followed was a long-drawn description of the lives of the affluent, their lies and secrets, bad marriages and infidelities, pettiness and more of the same with the mystery and the investigation taking a backseat. The plot progression was slow, tedious and repetitive. The characters were mostly unlikable, but that did make the story somewhat interesting. Only in the final 20% of the novel was my interest resurrected. I didn’t see the end coming which is always a good thing. Overall, while the premise of the novel held promise, I was a tad disappointed with its execution. Overall, too much drama and too little intrigue!

I paired my reading with the audio narration by Hillary Huber and Sarah Hollis both of whom did a wonderful job of voicing the characters and making the story come to life. The audio certainly helped me get through this novel.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Book and Macmillan Audio for the ARC and ALC of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.